A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wheelchairs, more specifically, a harness for securing an occupant's torso to the seat back portion of a wheelchair.
Traditionally, a wheelchair is a wheeled seat, which does not prevent an occupant from falling out of said, wheel chair when in use. This is a problem where the occupant is mentally or physically handicapped, and may otherwise fall from the wheelchair.
What is needed is a harness system that secures the torso portion of an occupant to the seat back portion Of the wheelchair in an effort to prevent unintended falling from the wheelchair.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art shoulders and torso to the seat back of a wheelchair; wherein the safety harness includes a horizontal belt that encircles both the torso and the seat back of the wheelchair; wherein a pair of shoulder straps extend vertically from a rear of the horizontal belt and extend up and over the seatback of the wheelchair and over shoulders of the occupant where a front end of each shoulder straps is secured to a portion comprising a front cover thereby securing the torso of the occupant to the wheelchair; wherein the front cover secures the front ends of the shoulder strap as well as front ends the horizontal belt; wherein the front cover includes a front member a rear member that each include a nylon hook or loop strip so as to secure the front member to the rear member; wherein the front member is affixed to a shoulder strap and a corresponding side of the horizontal belt, whereas the rear member is affixed to an opposing shoulder strap and a corresponding side of the horizontal belt.
The Greene Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,844) discloses a harness system for securing a child or mentally or physically impaired adult to a wheelchair, or similar seating device, which includes a Velcro fastener. However, the harness system does not encircle the torse and seat back of a wheelchair and from which shoulder straps extend to encircle each shoulder, respectively, and in order to restrain a torso of an occupant to the seat back and to the wheelchair.
The Featon et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,392) discloses a wheelchair with a harness for restraining an occupant. However, the harness is directed to securing a wheelchair and it's occupant to a floor surface of a vehicle.
The Rupert et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,474) discloses a safety vest that is worn by a person for holding a person in a seat. However, the safety vest uses rings to attach straps with clips that extend from a surface or a seat to secure the vest to the respective object, as opposed to a safety harness that encircles a seat back of a wheelchair and a torso of an end user.
The Berdahl Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,866) discloses a fully adjustable universal safety harness for restraining small children to secure said small children in various chairs. However, the safety harness features an adjustable strap that encircles a seat to secure the harness thereto, as opposed to a single harness system that loops around both the torso and seat back, and from which shoulder straps extend to wrap over shoulders of and secure an occupant thereto.
The Williams Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,404) discloses an adjustable safety and assistance harness that is mountable to a chair or a wheelchair. However, the adjustable safety harness does not fully encircle the seat back and the torso of an occupant, but rather engages handlebars of the wheelchair.
The Jordan Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,737) discloses a support harness for a child that is used for maintaining a sitting position in a chair. However, the support harness extends underneath the occupant by traversing through the legs.
The Collins Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,878) discloses an invalid chair or wheelchair restraint. However, the restraint traverses under and in between the legs of the occupant, and does not include shoulder straps that secure the upper torso to the seat back.
The Bolcerek Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,211) discloses a safety harness with a chest pad, back pad, and shoulder pads. However, the safety harness does not rely upon a horizontal loop to encircle both the torso and seat back of a wheel chair, and from which shoulder straps extend there from.
The Leach Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,171) discloses an apparatus worn by a patent seated in a wheelchair. However, the apparatus traverses under and behind the seat back to engage the lower frame of the wheelchair.
The Kelley et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 608,950) illustrates a design for a child safety harness for a wheelchair. However, the child safety harness is used to secure a child onto the lap of an adult occupant who is also seated in a wheelchair. Furthermore, the child safety harness relies upon cross-crossing straps to the back of the child, and is not capable of securing the upper torso of an adult occupant to the wheelchair.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a safety harness for a wheelchair that secures the shoulders and torso to the seat back of a wheelchair; wherein the safety harness includes a horizontal belt that encircles both the torso and the seat back of the wheelchair; wherein a pair of shoulder straps extend vertically from a rear of the horizontal belt and extend up and over the seatback of the wheelchair and over shoulders of the occupant where a front end of each shoulder straps is secured to a portion comprising a front cover thereby securing the torso of the occupant to the wheelchair; wherein the front cover secures the front ends of the shoulder strap as well as front ends the horizontal belt; wherein the front cover includes a front member a rear member that each include a nylon hook or loop strip so as to secure the front member to the rear member; wherein the front member is affixed to a shoulder strap and a corresponding side of the horizontal belt, whereas the rear member is affixed to an opposing shoulder strap and a corresponding side of the horizontal belt. In this regard, the shoulder and waist restraining harness for use with a wheelchair departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.